Process of converting earth or soil into fuel.



, N T ATES GEORG MONTAQ AND FRIEDRICH KRESSER, OF MANNHEIM, GERMANY.

PROCESS OF CONVERTING EARTH OR SOIL INTO FUEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 655,102, dated July31,1900. Application filed May 26, 1899. SerialNo. 718,413. (Nospecimens.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORG MONTAG, engineer, and FRIEDRICH KRESSER,gentleman, subjects of the Grand Duke of Baden, residing at Mannheim,Grand Duchy of Baden, German Empire, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Processes for the Conversion of Earth or Soil into Fuel,of which the following is a specification.

The present invention refers to an improved process for the conversionof earth or soil into fuel, the purpose of the invention being toprepare ordinary earth or soil in such a manner as to render sameapplicable as-fuel in the shape of briquets.

The process for manufacturing our improved fuel consists in intimatelymixing com mon earth or soil with a material more particularly referredto later on by aid of machineryorin any other suitable manner. Thematerial thus produced is, after having been pressed in the form ofbriquets and after having been dried, ready for immediate use.

The material to be added to or mixed with the common earth or soil isprepared by boiling pitch or resin and thereupon after having added aquarter per cent.,by Weight,of oil residues or waste oils, preferablythe least valuable ones, for the purpose of dilution in liquefying thepitch or resin, mixing the composition produced with a sufficient amountof sawdust or dry earth or soil or sawdust mixed with dry earth or soilto obtain a viscid paste, which will ultimately fall into pieces ofsmall size. The oil addition, as stated, for the purpose of dilution inliquefying the pitch or resin enables the sawdust and dry earth or soilto more readily absorb the composition. This hot mass is then spread onplates and constantly and energetically turned over simultaneously,being sprayed or spinkled with a five-per-cent. sulfuric acid employedcorresponding toa half up to one per cent, by Weight, of'the mixture ormass to be treated. The sulfuric acid serves the purpose of looseningthe clay soil or heavy earth, so that the preparation can penetrate samemore advantageously and cause a better combustion of the earth, thenon-addition of such an acid causing an increased amount of residue tobe left on combustion and similarly to the combustion of coal the earthwould adhere to the fire=bars as cinders. To facilitate or promote theintimate mixing of the sulfuric acid with the prepared material, anysufficient amount of hot water may be added, the pap thus produced beingconstantly stirred until the mix ture is satisfactorily efiected. Theresulting mixture of liquid consistence is then mixed with ordinaryearth or soil. The amount of material employed for this purpose variesaccording to the quality of the earth or soil to be treated with it. Anaddition of six per cent, by weight, of the improved material will befound sufficient for light earth, while in connection with heavy earth,such as clay, up to eight per cent. by weight, of the material will haveto be employed.

The earth or soil is intimately mixed with the prepared material bymeans of mixing apparatus or machinery or is in any other suitablemanner mixed, pressed, and dried-in fact, treated in a manner similar tothe prod nets of coal-dust.

The ready prepared and dried bricks or pieces are ready for use forheating and like purposes as fuel without any further manipulation.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declarethat what we claim is- Process for the manufacture of fuel essentiallycomposed of earth or soil, consisting in adding to disintegrated earthor soil according to its quality six to eight per cent. of a materialprepared by intimately mixing pitch or resin with sawdust and earth,simultaneously adding a half to one per cent. of fiveper-cent. sulfuricacid, and hot water, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

GEORG MONTAG. FRIEDRICH KRESSER.

